NATO voices concern over Iran's development of ballistic missiles

BRUSSELS, May 9 (KUNA) — NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow called on Iran Monday to “faithfully implement the provisions” of the nuclear programme agreement and “fulfil its other international obligations.” “Concerns remain over Iran’s increasingly assertive role in its neighbourhood, as well as its continued development and testing of ballistic missiles,” he told the Annual NATO Conference on WMD Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-proliferation held in Ljubljana, Slovenia.Vershbow noted that “in Syria, despite its accession to the Chemical Weapons Convention and the successful destruction of its declared stockpile, chemical weapons remain a grave concern; and such weapons have been used in the conflict”.The top NATO official said the war in Syria and the spread of terrorist groups like the so-called Islamic State (IS) has led to untold suffering, to the death of hundreds of thousands of people and to the displacement of millions more.“All NATO Allies are part of the US-led coalition to destroy ISIL (IS), and NATO fully supports all efforts to achieve a lasting peace and a peaceful transition to a new, democratic government, as prescribed in UN Security Council Resolution 225,” he added. (end) nk.hm